Second time around coaching

Oh, I don't have to. Two games ago I had to run one of my parents out of the dugout for bringing a hotdog to his kid. WTH?

 

Works with the 51-U, too!

 

That's a universal practice. I helped a guy with his team one time and I put a stop to it quickly.....until the parent learned from watching others that he better bring one for me, too.

 

Dang....another thing I don't qualify for

 

Y'alls comments are funny, but I guess everyone can tell that I am pretty upset over this issue. I love the game of baseball and I understand that it takes time and effort to even begin to appreciate it. If its second or third priority for a kid, there is little or no chance that he will ever appreciate it. And its simply amazing to me the difference in six short years. Sure I had some kids that didn't chew nails to play, and that was fine. Heck, my younger son was one of them. But they at least gave me effort during practice and games. They understood that we were trying to accomplish things as a team and cared what their role was in that success. And I am not talking about wins and losses. Wins take care of themselves when a team does things the right way. I have never coached a team that wasn't fundamentally better at the end of the season than at the start. This one may be the first. My guys are hitting exponentially better, but we aren't making progress on team defense, which has always been my forte. Its just discouraging and doesn't make me want to take a team next year.

 

Sorry baseballman. I know I've been of no help, but I am disappointed as well. See, I have a 11 yo that participated in LL and it was a horrible experience. The coaching was hurtful to the players and they wouldn't accept help from those that could. There are few fundamentals taught and the one's that do get frustrated at the players that have little interest.

I found I didn't have the patience for the brats, the hurtful poor coaching and the daddy's that coach to protect their son from playing for another coach that would probably work their butt's off or put them on the bench instead of ss.

The problem with going the Travel ball route is those kids get very little practice at fundamentals, too....which leaves you with few options at a crucial time of a ballplayers life.

 

What I suggest you do

is coach for that one player. That one player that is there to learn and enjoys working to get better. If you start to focus on the negative and you get frustrated with all the bs you will not be for the one kid what you need to be. You will spend all of your time focusing on the kids that you can not help and will neglect the one you can.

What I would do is make every practice like a skills camp. Start with showing them how to properly stretch. Show them how to properly catch and good throwing mechanics. Work on proper fielding mechanics both outfield and infield. Work on base running skills. Basic hitting mechanics. Each day have a goal and work to achieve it. Each day is a mini camp and your looking to assist them in learning the basics of the game.

Focus on the player or players that pay attention and come to learn. Focus on the players that want instruction. Dont get distracted by the player or players that will not pay attention and do not give effort. If you do this you will spend all of your time on the ones that dont want it and the ones that do will suffer. It would be great if you were in a posistion where every kid wanted it and every kid wanted to learn and work hard. But at this level this is simply not the case. So you have to focus on that one player or those players and block out all the other stuff.

Some kids will be bored and will say your a bad coach. Some parents will say you are a bad coach. Heck a lot of them might. But if only one player that is there to learn and wants to get better benefits from your coaching then you have done your job. Your there for the ones that want to get better and learn the game. The kids that do not care you can not help until they do. The parents of the players that have kids on the team that want to learn and want to put forth an effort will formulate an opinion on what kind of coach you and so will the other kids parents. But really this means nothing. The only thing that matters is the kids that are there to learn and get better are getting that opportunity. And the ones that are not there to learn and get better wont regardless.

Its a lot like being a supervisor at your job. The employees that require the most attention from you are usually the ones that are the least productive and put forth the least amount of effort. The employess that put forth the most effort and are the most productive get very little attention because your spending all of your time with the clowns. So the ones that deserve your time dont get it because your spending all of your time on the clowns. Switch it up. Spend your time and effort helping those that want it and appreciate it. And let the others draw in the dirt and drink gatorade. Unless your coaching a team where there have been tryouts , cuts and every kid is out there really wants it I see no other way to approach it.

 

"The problem with going the Travel ball route is those kids get very little practice at fundamentals, too....which leaves you with few options at a crucial time of a ballplayers life."



If you find the right travel team there is plenty of practice and fundamentals work. In the Chlt area the O's and CBC stress fundamentals. I'm sure there are others too, these I know of 1st hand.

 

I coached

11 - 12 AAU a couple of years. My whole focus was to teach them the game and teach them solid fundementals of the game. The hope was I would help them become the best players they could be. When we played games its was all about winning and teaching through the actual games. But the work was in practice and instruction. Then just go out and put that work to use in game situations.

IMO the worse thing young players can do in this game is play all the time thinking that somehow that is going to make them players. They dont practice , learn , get taught , etc they simply play games all the time. There has to be a balance. Especially for kids at these ages imo. So if your going to play travel baseball make sure you are in a situation where the main focus is on teaching , learning , good instruction with some games to actually put it to use.

Showcase baseball should be used as a way to showcase the player once they have reached a certain level in the game. Showcase baseball imo is not intended or was not intended as a way to develop players. Its intention is to showcase those that have been developed.

 

I have always considered showcase and travel as 2 different things. Showcase for 16 and up. Helped with a 12 and under travel team a few years ago and we practiced a lot. Just have to get in the right situation. If they are getting the practice time needed travel ball can be very beneficial. Competition level better than rec leagues. Huge commitment on part of the parents though.